Edward Hugh Hanlon (August 22, 1857 – April 14, 1937), also known as "Foxy Ned", and sometimes referred to as "the Father of Modern Baseball", was an American professional baseball player and manager whose career spanned from 1876 to 1914. He was posthumously inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996 by the Veterans Committee.
Hanlon was a manager in Major League Baseball from 1889 to 1907, compiling a 1,313–1,164 (.530) record with five different clubs. He is best remembered as the manager of the Baltimore Orioles (1892–1898) and Brooklyn Superbas (1899–1905). In the seven seasons from 1894 to 1900, Hanlon compiled a 635–315 () record, and his teams won five National League pennants. During his years with the Orioles, Hanlon was also credited with inventing and perfecting the "inside baseball" strategy, including the "hit and run" play and the Baltimore chop. In 1899, he became the second manager in baseball history to win 100 games in a season, doing so after Brooklyn won 101 games to win the National League pennant. The following year, he won his final National League pennant with Brooklyn, his fifth in seven seasons.
Hanlon also played 13 seasons in Major League Baseball, principally as a center fielder. He played in over 800 games as an outfielder for the Detroit Wolverines, remaining with the team during all eight years of its existence from 1881 to 1888. He compiled a career batting average of .260 and an on-base percentage of .325 with 930 runs scored and 1,317 hits. Although stolen base records are not available for the early portion of his playing career, Hanlon stole 329 bases (an average of 55 per year) in his last six years as a full-time player.
Early life Hanlon was born in 1857 at Montville, Connecticut. His parents, Terrance and Mary Hanlon, were immigrants from Ireland. In 1870, Hanlon's father worked as a railroad laborer while Ned, at age 13, along with his older brother James (age 14) and younger brother O'Brien (age 11) worked in a cotton mill to help support the family.1870 U.S. Census entry for Terrance and Marry Hanlon in Montville, Connecticut. Son Edward, age 13. Source Citation: Year: 1870; Census Place: Montville, New London, Connecticut; Roll: M593_113; Page: 282B; Image: 563; Family History Library Film: 545612. Ancestry.com. 1870 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. By 1880, the family had moved a few miles south to New London, where Hanlon's father, three brothers (James, Bryon and Terrance) and a step-sister (Clara Blake) were all working in a cotton mill.1880 U.S. Census entry for Terrance and Mary Hanlon and family in New London, Connecticut. Son Edward, age 22, identified as a professional ball player. Source Citation: Year: 1880; Census Place: Norwich, New London, Connecticut; Roll: 108; Family History Film: 1254108; Page: 310B; Enumeration District: 098; Image: 0102. Ancestry.com. 1880 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Ned was saved from life in the mill by his talent for baseball. The 1880 census recorded his occupation, in contrast to his other family members, as a professional ball player.("Edward (Ned) Hanlon, born in Connecticut in 1857, was the son of a cotton mill worker and a housewife who fled Ireland a decade before. Ned, the sixth of seven children, worked with his father and older brothers in the mill, but his baseball skill saved him from a life in the factory.")
Professional baseball career
Minor leagues Hanlon began his professional baseball career in 1876 at age 17 or 18 with the Providence, Rhode Island club. He next played for the Fall River, Massachusetts club in the New England League in 1877, the Rochester, New York club in the International Association in 1878, and the Albany, New York team in the National Association in 1879. He played third base at Albany, posted a .315 batting average and scored 44 runs in 47 games.
Cleveland Hanlon made his major league debut on May 1, 1880, as a member of the Cleveland Blues of the National League. He appeared in 73 games for the Blues, 69 as an outfielder and four as a shortstop, and compiled a .246 batting average with 32 RBIs. On June 12, 1880, he made the final out of the first perfect game in major league history, a 1–0 victory by Lee Richmond of the Worcester Ruby Legs.
Detroit
Hanlon joined the newly formed Detroit Wolverines in 1881. He is one of only two players, along with Charlie Bennett, who played for the Wolverines during all eight years of the team's existence. In his eight seasons with the Wolverines, Hanlon compiled a .261 batting average, which was boosted to a .318 on-base percentage by 271 bases on balls and six times hit by pitch. He hit over .300 only once in his career, compiling a .302 batting average (.372 on-base percentage) in 1885.
During his time with Detroit, Hanlon was considered to be an excellent base-runner. Although stolen base records are not available for the years before 1886, Hanlon stole 329 bases (an average of 55 per year) in his last six years as a full-time player. His base-running prowess is also evidenced by his scoring 623 runs on only 879 hits for the Wolverines. The Sporting News called him a "wonderful base runner and a spark plug." In October 1885, The Sporting Life wrote that it was a "striking illustration of Ned Hanlon's daring and speed that for two years Buck Ewing has never once succeeded in throwing him out at second on a steal. And Buck is one of the best throwers in the League."
Hanlon had excellent range in center field, leading the league in outfield putouts in 1882 and 1884 and ranking among the league leaders every year from 1882 to 1887. He also led the league in double plays turned from the outfield in 1882 (eight) and 1883 (six) and ranked among the leading outfielders in range factor five times from 1882 to 1887. Perhaps as a result of his extensive range, Hanlon was also regularly among the leaders in outfield errors and led the league with 35 errors in 1880, 38 in 1885 and 31 in 1891. In 1886, The Sporting Life wrote: "Ned Hanlon never played a more brilliant fielding game than now. It is doubtful if any other fielder ever did, either." Decades later, The Sporting News opined that Hanlon was "one of the greatest ground coverers the game ever had."
Hanlon became captain of the Wolverines in 1885, and during the 1886 and 1887 seasons, led teams that rank among the greatest in Detroit baseball history. After acquiring sluggers Sam Thompson, Dan Brouthers and Hardy Richardson, and with pitcher Lady Baldwin winning 42 games, the 1886 Wolverines compiled an 87–36 (.707) record, but finished games behind the Chicago White Stockings. The 1887 Wolverines won the pennant with a 79–45 record.
In 1888, the Wolverines finished in fifth place with a 68–63 record. The team folded in October 1888, and Hanlon was sold to the Pittsburgh Alleghenys.
Spalding trip During the winter of 1888–89, Hanlon traveled to Hawaii, Australia, Ceylon, Arabia, Egypt, Europe, and the British Isles as part of Albert Spalding's "Around the World Baseball Tour". Baseball games were held between the Chicago White Stockings and a picked team called the "All-Americans"; Hanlon played center field for the "All-Americans".
Pittsburgh
After returning from the Spalding tour, Hanlon joined the Pittsburgh Alleghenys and took over as a player-manager in the second half of the season. The Alleghenys had compiled a 35–53 record and were languishing near the basement of the National League before Hanlon took over as manager. In the last part of the season, Hanlon led the team to a 26–18 record. As a player, Hanlon compiled a .239 batting average (.326 on-base percentage), scored 81 runs, and stole 53 bases during the 1889 season.
In late 1889, Hanlon was one of the early supporters and organizers of the new Players' League. He served as player-manager for the Pittsburgh Burghers during the 1890 season. In Hanlon's first full season as a manager, his team compiled a 60–68 record and finished in sixth place in the Players' League. Hanlon put in a solid performance as a player in 1890, posting a .278 batting average and a career-high .389 on-base percentage fueled by a career-high 80 bases on balls. He also led the Players' League with 291 outfield putouts, posted a 2.59 range factor (3rd highest among the league's outfielders), and ranked fourth in the league with 65 stolen bases.
The Players' League folded after one season, though Hanlon was credited with working harder than anyone else to make the league a success. One account published in late 1890 stated: "I want to say, gentlemen, that you can talk of the loyalty of a Ward, a Ewing, a Keefe and so on, but give me Ned Hanlon above everybody else. He stands to-day as the hero of the Players' League. He is the only ball player in that League who has held to the contract he signed. Not a penny has he received for his work this season, although he has played better ball than ever before."
Hanlon returned to the Alleghenys as player-manager in 1891. Prior the 1891 season, Hanlon was involved in an incident that led to the Pittsburgh team acquiring the name "Pirates." After the collapse of the Players' League, Hanlon traveled to Pennsylvania's Presque Isle Peninsula in the dead of winter to sign second baseman, Louis Bierbauer. Alfred Spink, the founder of The Sporting News, wrote about the incident in 1910 for a journal called The Pirates Reader. According to Spink, Hanlon crossed the ice on the harbor during a snow storm, finally reached Bierbauer's home and got him to sign a contract with the Alleghenys. The Philadelphia Athletics of the American Association, objected to Bierbauer's signing and stated that he should return to Philadelphia, since that was the team that employed him before his defection to the Players' League. An official for the American Association called Hanlon's act in signing Bierbauer to be "piratical." The Alleghenies contended that because "the American Association did not reserve Bierbauer, he was a free agent". An arbitrator agreed, and soon players and fans alike were calling the team the "Pittsburgh Pirates."
Connie Mack was the catcher on the 1891 team; he and Hanlon became fast friends and remained close until Hanlon's death in 1937. Mack would credit Hanlon with teaching him baseball strategy and how to manage.
The 1891 season was Hanlon's last as a full-time player. At age 34, he compiled a .266 batting average and .341 on-base percentage, scored 87 runs, and stole 54 bases. He was also manager of the Alleghenys for most of the 1891 season, during which time the team compiled a record of 31–47.
Baltimore
Rough start Hanlon began the 1892 season with Pittsburgh, but he strained a tendon in his right leg in practice before the first game and did not appear in any games. On May 5, 1892, Hanlon signed as captain and manager of the Baltimore Orioles. He took over as manager after George Van Haltren and John Waltz led the team to a 3–16 record in the first 19 games. Hanlon fared only somewhat better than Van Haltren and Waltz, as the team went 43–85 for the remainder of the season and finished 12th (last place) in the National League.
Assembling the talent
While Hanlon was not able to immediately turn the Orioles into a winning club, he quickly evaluated the talent available and looked for new talent elsewhere. By 1894, only three players from the 1892 opening lineup (John McGraw, Wilbert Robinson and pitcher Sadie McMahon) remained on the roster. Hanlon's efforts to revamp the club included the following: Shortstop John McGraw had played only 33 major league games with a .270 batting average before the 1892 season. Under Hanlon's tutelage, McGraw became one of the best players in the game, compiling batting averages of .340 in 1894, .369 in 1895, and .325 in 1898. McGraw was later inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.